Dial register for telephone numbers



March 13, 1934. H. P. IVERSON DIAL REGISTER FOR TELEPHONE NUMBERS Filed April 12, 1932 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIAL REGISTER FOR TELEPHONE NUMBERS 2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in dial register for telephone numbers.

An object of the invention is to provide a dial register for telephone numbers, the register including means whereby the prospective user of a dial telephone may register the complete identitying data of the telephone to be called and in so doing convert the call letters of the telephone into numbers whereby in his actual dialing he may disregard the letters on the telephone dial and work entirely with the numbers thereon.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a dial register for telephone numbers, made according to the present invention;

Fig.2 is an edge elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale, the view being taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1. 4 i

Fig. 4 is a bottom' plan view of the register;

Fig. 5 is a' plan view of one of the upper dials removed; and

Fig. 6 is a similar View of one of the lower dials.

Referring in detail to the drawing, my improved dial register for telephone numbers is disclosed as including a body comprising connected sheets '7 and 8 forming front and rear body members. The sheets or body members 7 and 8 are shown as being oblong in shape and the transverse edges of these sheets are connected or secured together in any suitable manner as by tubular rivets 9. These body members '7 and 8 may be formed of any suitable material as for example translucent or opaque celluloid or the like, or if desired they may be formed of sheet metal.

A series of openings 10 are provided in the front plate '7 adjacent its upper end lower edges and as here disclosed the plate is provided with ten of .these open ngs, but the number may be varied as desired. A series of dials 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 1'], 18, 19, and 20 are disposed between the front and rear body members 7 and 8 and are rotatably mounted as on hollow rivets 21 passing through said body members and the respective dials. One

of these dials is associated with each of the openings 10 and the dials are substantially identical but are given separate reference numbers to facilitate the description of the operation, which description will later appear. It will be noted that the edges of the dials are toothed or notched and that the edge portion of each dial projects beyond an edge portion of the body whereby the edge portions may be engaged for rotating the dials.

Each dial is provided with radially arranged columns of data 6 and 6a, the said columns being arranged as are the columns of data on a telephone dial and each colmun on a dial contains the same data as is found in a corresponding column of a telephone dial. Where telephone exchanges are identified by a single numeral, telephone dials contain the numerals from 0 to 9 and associated with certain of the numerals are the letter designations for party lines. Where telephone exchanges are identified by one or more 7 letters, the telephone dials contain the numerals 0 to 9 and associated with the numerals in a manner to provide radially extending columns are certain letters.

A given letter will always be associated with the same numeral irrespective of whether or not the dial has more than one letter associated with a numeral. For example, where the letter M is used on a telephone dial this letter will always be found arranged in association with the numer- 35 al 6 irrespective of whether or not there are other letters associated with said numeral. On some dials the letter M may be the only letter associated with the numeral 6 while on other dials either or both of the letters N and 0 will also be found assooiated with that numeral. The foregoing is true irrespective of what letter is chosen and it will be found that if a letter is used it is always associated with the same numeral irrespective of whether or not other letters are associated with that numeral.

In connection with the dials numbered 11 through 20 it will be noted that each column contains only one numeral and that the first column in each dial contains only the numeral 1, 1 0 while the second column contains the numeral 2, and the letters A, B, C arranged radially with respect to the numeral. The other columns each contain only one numeral and a series of letters with the exception of the last column which contains only 0, or that is zero. In the columns of the lower series of dials or those numbered 16 through 20 the positions of the indicating characters is reversed with respect to those in the columns of the upper series of dials.

That is, in the columns 6 of the upper series of dials the numerals are at the inner ends of the columns while in the columns 6a of the dials of the lower series the numerals are at the outer ends and the letters of the columns are likewise arranged in reverse order. This reversal of the order of the letters and numerals on the two series of dials is made in order that the dials may all be read from the lower edge of the device. As both sets or series of dials have their axes at the inner edges of the openings 10 and one set is read above its axes while the other set is read below its axes the reversal of the order of the numerals and letters is used. If the sight openings 10 for the lcwer sets of dials 16 to 20 were arranged above their axes as are the openings for the upper dials 11 to 15 then all the dials would be the same.

Frequently when using a public telephone the directory is found chained to a stand at a point apart from the telephone so that when a number is looked up the directory may not be carried into the phone booth. On looking up a number or the data identifying a certain. telephone a person may find that the telephone is identified by several letters and four or five numerals. Since the directory may not be carried into the booth a person may become confused when he attempts to dial unless he has found some convenient way of making a. memorandum of the number.

With the register of the present invention a party looks up a. number to be called and then adjusts his register to show the number, the adjustment being made with the aid of the open telephone di-- rectory. Should, for example, the number to be called by Courtland 3-8507 the telephone would be dialed by dialing the letters C, O, R, and then the numerals 3-8507. For this number, the dial 11 will be rotated to show the letter C through the opening 10 associated with the dial. Next, the dial 12 will be rotated to show the letter G through its associated openin 10 and then the dial 13 will be rotated to bring the letter R opposite the opening 10 associated with dial 13. Next, dials 14, 15, 16, 1'7 and 18 will be rotate to bring the numerals 3, 8, 5, 0, and 7 of the respective dials opposite the respective openings 10 associated therewith.

The register may then be carried into the telephone booth and clearly indicates the dialing operation to be followed to call the desired number as the openings 10 form means for indicating what number on each dial is to be dialed on the telephone. When dialing, the holder of the improved register will not refer to the letters but will do all his dialing by numbers which is much simpler and easier. In the example given by referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that to call Courtland 38507 it is but necessary to dial 26738507, the letters being disregarded. Thus it will be seen that by setting up a call number on my improved register any letters appearing in the number are converted into numerals and the number is rendered less confusing and may be more easily located in the dialing operation as the numerals on the telephone are always arranged in sequence and are much easier to locate than are the letters.

A transparent plate 22 of clear celluloid or the like may be secured against the rear or outer side of the rear body member as by means of the tubular rivets 9. This plate will be secured only at its ends leaving its edge portions free and the plate with the body member 8 will provide a pocket to receive a memoranda slip 23 which may contain frequently used telephone information so as to make it readily available, since the information on the paper may be read through the plate 22. The plate 22 may be notched as at 24 to facilitate removal of the sheet 23 when something is to be noted thereon and it will be observed that this sheet serves to cover up the rear ends of the rivets 21 whereby to give a finished appearance to rear side of the register.

In order to prevent turning of the discs and thus changing the record on the register accidentally when the device is being handled and especially when it is placed in a pocket the edges of the body may be provided with notches or receases 2-5 in which the toothed edges of the counter discs are exposed for manipulation. These recesses provide lu s or raised portions 26 of the edges extending somewhat beyond the edges of the discs. Thus when the device is for example slipped into a pocket these lugs or raised portions prevent he sides of the pocket engaging the toothed of the discs and turning them to change rd which has been placed on the counter.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a dial register for telephone numbers, a body member, a series of dials rotatably mounted by said body member, each of said dials having the spaced symbols of a telephone dial disposed thereon in radial columns, a key symbol for each col-- umn, means associated with each column to indicate the key symbol, and means to rotate each dial to position the columns so that the successive key symbols will register a telephone number to be called.

2. In a dial register for telephone numbers, a body member having a series of spaced openings therethrough, a series of dials rotatably mounted at one side of said body member and associated one with each of said openings, each of said dials having the spaced series of multiple letters and single numerals of a telephone dial disposed thereon in radial columns, the numeral of each column being arranged at one end thereof to act as a key guide, and said dials adapted to be independently rotated to position the desired column of each dial opposite one of said openings whereby on reading through said openings the successive key numerals there will be registered the dialing necessary to call a telephone identified by a series of letters and numerals.

HANS P. IVERSON. 

